Chaz Guest

Chaz Guest (born May 2, 1961[1] in Niagara Falls, New York[2]) is an American artist who works in the mediums of painting and sculpting. He is described by the Huffington Post as "an American artist of profound inventiveness."[3]

Chaz Guest
Chaz Guest in his studio
Born (1961-05-02) May 2, 1961
Niagara Falls, New York, United States
Years active1985 – Present
ChildrenTwo sons
Parent(s)Algirtha Guest
Rev. Theodore James Guest
Websitewww.chazguest.com

Life and career

Guest's parents are Algirtha Guest (born 1933) and Rev. Theodore James Guest (born 1922 - 2006). Guest's father - Rev. T. J. Guest, is a World War II Purple Heart recipient.[4] Guest is the 7th of nine brothers and sisters.[4] Guest graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from Southern Connecticut State University in 1985.[5] Guest grew up in a quiet community in Niagara Falls, New York with his family. His parents divorced when he was ten years old. After the divorce, he moved with his mother and siblings to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Guest has two sons, one born 1994 and one born 2003.[6]

Guest received a Gymnastic scholarship to go to the Southern Connecticut State University (S.C.S.U.), to study Kinesiology and pursue a degree in Graphic Arts. He subsequently competed successfully in the U.S. Olympic program. After graduating from S.C.S.U., Guest moved to New York City, where he enrolled in a fashion design curriculum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It was during this period that he honed his formal skills in drawing.[7] While at the Fashion Institute, Guest made the acquaintance of Antonio Lopez. Lopez inspired and influenced his decision to seek work as an illustrator. Guest studied at the Fashion Institute for nine months.

In 1986,Guest moved to Paris, France to work as a freelance fashion illustrator. Guest joined Joyce Magazine as an illustrator for their magazine covers, and was responsible for the illustrations of the JOYCE magazine covers for the 1987/1988 season. It was while working at Joyce Magazine that Guest met Christian Lacroix. Lacroix encouraged him to apply his illustrator skills to painting, after Lacroix saw one of Guest's illustrations of couture designs done for Joyce Magazine. After the 1987/1988 season, Guest left Joyce magazine and moved to Dax, France where he started painting.[5]

After leaving the Fashion Institute of Technology, Guest began studying the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. Guest also studied the paintings of Balthus. In 1991,Guest sold his first painting to a passerby outside his Soho apartment.[8]

Guest's first museum exhibit was a group show "Decoding Identity: I Do it for My People" (January 23, 2009 – March 22, 2009)[9][10] at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco (MOAD).

Notable works

In 2004, while at the home of Mattie and Michael Lawson in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, Guest was struck by the presence of Barack Obama, then running for Senate, while interacting with the guests. This image stuck with him, and he created a painting of The President based on that mental image.[11] The President saw the painting of himself at a fund raiser at the home of Oprah Winfrey in 2008.

Guest's painting of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall hangs in President Barack Obama's Oval Office at the White House.[12][13] On October 11, 2005, the then Senator Obama sent a note to Guest thanking him for the painting.[14] Guest has also authored a serigraph series of President Obama. Subsequently, Guest was invited by Kouji Matsuzaki San, Mayor of Obama, Fukui prefecture to present the serigraphs.[15][16][17]

On February 24, 2010, Chaz Guest presented the President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh[18] a portrait of the Gambian President. During his visit to the Gambia, Guest discussed with the Gambian leader the renaming of James Island and Juffereh in the North Bank Region. Guest proposed to the Gambian leader for the Island to be renamed 'Kunta Kinte' Island. On February 6, 2011, James Island, the former British Slave Fort used for the slave trade of Africans which sits in the River Gambia in the North Bank Region was renamed by the Gambian President to Kunta Kinte Island.[19] At the renaming ceremony of James Island in 2011, Guest revealed the miniature replica of his 30-foot statue of Kunta Kinte that will be displayed on Kunta Kinte Island.

Guest created two paintings to help the family of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teenager who was killed in an incident in Florida in 2012, to support Martin's younger brother. Guest donated the proceeds from the sale of the paintings to the Martin Family.[20] Mr. Guest also did a painting of Troy Davis - a man sentenced to death for the murder of a Georgia police officer in 1991, for Amnesty International, USA.[21][22][23]

Guest was named the Goodwill Ambassador to the Republic of Gambia, West Africa in 2011, and the U.S. spokesperson for the 2014 International Roots Festival in Gambia.[24][25]

References
  1. Rachelle Ryan Fine Art - leftcoastgalleries.com. "Artist Profile: Chaz Guest - Statement about the Artist".
  2. 4 Real Magazine. "Feature: Artist Chaz Guest Profile".
  3. The Huffington Post. "Chaz Guest, An American Artist".
  4. Elaine McDuffie - 4Real Magazine. "Interview with Artist Chaz Guest".
  5. Michelles of Delaware. "Chaz Guest - the profile page of artist Chaz Guest on Michelle's of Delaware".
  6. Elaine McDuffie - 4Real Magazine. "Artist Profile".
  7. Rachelle Ryan. "Chaz Guest Statement".
  8. Henry Watkins, Editor - Uptown Social. "Chaz Guest". Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  9. Museum of the African Diaspora. "Decoding Identity: I Do it for My People (January 23, 2009 – March 22, 2009) - a group exhibit that examines the work of artists who use their work to grapple with issues of identity" (PDF).
  10. San Francisco Public Library. "Decoding Identity: I Do It For My People - San Francisco Public Library, African American Center Reading Lists".
  11. Mary Ann Akers, The Sleuth: Behind the scenes in Washington. "Artist Paints Portrait of 'President Obama'".
  12. CBS News, Whitney Drolen reports. "Local Artist Has Painting Hanging In The White House, Chaz Guest painted a portrait of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall - VIDEO". Missing or empty |url= (help)
  13. Kitty J. Pope, African Diaspora Tourism. "Creative Genius of Artist Chaz Guest". Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  14. Barack Obama. "Thank you note from Barack Obama to Chaz Guest for the painting of Justice Thurgood" (PDF).
  15. Mike Toppa. "Limited Edition Serigraph of Barack Obama". Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  16. Matt McKinley / McKinley Art Solutions. "Obama Portrait: Limited edition serigraph by Chaz Guest".
  17. "American Painter Chaz Guest Visits Obama City" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  18. Office of The Gambian President: State House Online: Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh. "President Jammeh hosts Chaz Guest". Archived from the original on 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  19. gambiarootsfestival2011. "Renaming of James Island to Kunta Kinte Island during the International Roots Festival 2011–Gambia, West Africa". Archived from the original on 2012-07-27.
  20. Isabel Wilkinson. "Trayvon Martin: Painted by Chaz Guest - One Los Angeles artist, a favorite of President Obama, has captured the Trayvon Martin tragedy in paint. How Chaz Guest is honoring the teenager's legacy".
  21. Amnesty International. "Artist Chaz Guest paints Troy Davis".
  22. Amnesty International. "Troy Davis, a man on death row in Georgia. Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991".
  23. Nancy Lockhart, M.J. "Your Legal Analyst: Organizing In The Trenches - Troy Davis Painting By Chaz Guest".
  24. Daily Observer. "Acclaimed artist named US national spokesperson for 2014 Int'l Roots Festival". Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  25. Kitty J. Pope. "Acclaimed Artist Chaz Guest Chosen as U.S. National Spokesperson for 2014 International Roots Festival".
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